Page 47 of Sworn to Revenge
“Nice to meet you,” I smile politely, though this whole introduction feels a little too awkward, like I’m meeting my boyfriend’s parents—not Cora’s.
The click of her high heels echoes across the light gray marble floor as she walks toward me, stopping just as she reaches the creamy-white fur rug in the living room.
“I’ve never seen such unique eyes before—are you wearing purple contacts?” she asks, leaning in closer to examine my eyes. I can feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.
“What are contacts?” I turn to Alin, curiosity getting the best of me.
Cora’s mother looks slightly confused now. “You’ve never heard of colored contact lenses?”
Alin immediately steps beside me, letting out a nervous chuckle. “She grew up far from here, home schooled. She’s not familiar with a lot of products,” she answers, shooting me a warning glare.Got it. No questions here. Silence is golden.At least her response isn’t a total lie. I swallow a tiny laugh.
“Colored contacts are a cosmetic product you put in your eyes to change their color,” Cora’s mother explains, her voice now filled with sympathy, probably imagining I had some rough childhood based on Alin’s description. I resist the urge to ask why anyone would want to change their eyecolor, feeling Alin’s burning gaze beside me.Point made.
“They’re her natural eyes. They have great genes in their family,” Cora pipes up from behind us, saving the moment with a grin that stretches from ear to ear. “Both of their eyes look like sparkling gemstones, don’t they?”
Cora’s mother now turns her attention to Alin’s eyes, a sly smile suddenly creeping across her lips. Oh no. The fish doesn’t swim far from the reef—this is exactly Cora Spallo’s smile, the one that puts everyone around her into fight-or-flight mode.
“I’m not sure if Cora mentioned this to you, but I design luxury evening gowns for the Vegas elite,” she says, and every fiber of my being tingles with the effort to hold back the questions swirling in my head. “I usually rope Cora into wearing my dresses when she visits, but how about you both join me at a charity event tomorrow? You can wear some of my designs.”
“Mom…” Cora groans, exasperated. “They’ve never been to events like that. They’ll be bored out of their minds.”
I have no idea what they’re talking about, but I hear “dresses” and “event,” and I’m all in.
“I don’t think anything involving the words ‘event’ and ‘dresses’ could ever be boring. I’m in,” I declare, raising my hand in full commitment. Alin lets out a heavy sigh, her hand landing on her forehead in frustration.
I furrow my brows at her, annoyed. I’m not a child who needs to be watched over, and I’m not asking questions—I just accepted an invitation, that’s all.
“You’re going to be in for a big surprise…” Cora rolls her eyes, but hermom’s face lights up with joy at my agreement. She then turns to Alin.
“Well, if we’re all going, then obviously I’m in, too. Luckily, my pregnant belly is not showing that far yet,” she replies in defeat, and now we’re all laughing. Looks like we’re going to this event together!
“We’ll do it at Anita’s. You’re going to love the event’s concept,” Cora’s mom claps her hands in excitement. Yeah, Cora can be sure she isn’t adopted.
“Anita is the biggest casino we run here in Vegas,” Cora fills us in before we can even ask. Her grin stretches wide across her face as she adds enthusiastically, “My dad renamed the casino after my mom. Isn’t that romantic?!”
A snort of laughter escapes me. I have no clue what a casino is, but this is what they consider romantic here? Naming a place after someone they love?
“Looks like Luca doesn’t love you as much as I thought. The Q is still called the Q,” I tease Alin, raising a playful eyebrow. She immediately shoves me back, sending me sprawling onto the sofa as Cora’s laughter joins mine.
“You just started a war,” Cora warns me, seeing the annoyed look that still hasn’t left Alin’s face. I throw my hands up in surrender, still giggling.
“Sorry, sorry. I don’t mess with a pregnant woman, especially not one like Alin,” I swallow my laughter just as footsteps echo behind us from the entrance door.
“And what are our women gossiping about here?” Mariano asks, grinning mischievously.
“I was just about to tell them the charity event’s concept,” Anita grins toward the fourth blond, tall man. Is that her husband, Flavio?
“And what would that be?” Pedro asks, completely disinterested, as his gaze falls on me. My body tenses; we haven’t talked much since yesterday. The trio went into Luca’s office, and then we all left early this morning for the airport.
“Mermaids!”
We all turn to her, jaws dropped.
Oh. That’s just great.
Pedro
“Can we talk?” I knock lightly on the guest room door set up for Bay and ask when I see her back is turned to me, her fingers running through her wavy red hair as she looks in the mirror.
